1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to devices which project information comprising alphanumeric or graphical representations into the field of view of a person to assist the person in viewing a presentation. Such projections, for example, have utility in providing captioning data, teletext data, or educational information to the person. More specifically, the invention provides a device which can be used in conjunction with various types of presentations and performances, such that for example a hearing-impaired wearer can observe a presentation or performance while simultaneously being presented the projected visual representation of the aural information typically as a series of words. The term "hearing impaired" will be understood to include physical or situational impairment (e.g., as might be encountered where high ambient noise levels are present).
2. Related Information
Conventional devices which provide visual cues to hearing impaired persons are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,885 to Upton discloses a display which is mounted upon a pair of spectacles to be worn by a hearing impaired person. Such devices have been found to be primitive and unsatisfactory for most people. Moreover, because of the limited display capabilities of such devices, the amount of information which can be conveyed is necessarily limited. Accordingly, there remains a need to provide sufficient information within a wearer's field of view which can be synchronized with a performance or presentation.
So-called "heads-up displays" for pilots and the like are known. One exemplary device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,828 to Furness et al., provides a wearable apparatus for displaying parametric information. However, such systems are bulky, complicated and expensive, and are generally limited to providing parametric information such as speed, range, fuel, and the like. Such devices fail to provide sequences of several words which can be synchronized to a performance or presentation being viewed by the wearer. Other considerations such as the aesthetic undesirability of using a bulky heads-up display in a classroom, movie theater or the like also prevents such devices from being commercially acceptable. Therefore, conventional heads-up displays fail to address the needs of hearing-impaired persons or those wishing to view a performance or presentation in a language other than that in which the presentation is being made.
As a result of the above and other problems and disadvantages, conventional devices have heretofore been inadequate, expensive and unwieldy.